Arkansas Chocolate Tarantula

[Quillback]

It lives in MO too.  

Species Profile: Arkansas Chocolate Tarantula | Crotaphytus collaris 

Scientific Name:  Aphonopelma hentzi

Common Name(s): Arkansas Chocolate Tarantula, Texas Brown Tarantula, Missouri Tarantula, Oklahoma Brown Tarantula

Left Photo- Male Chocolate Tarantula by Kayla Sayre, Bella Vista POA

Right Photo- Female Chocolate Tarantula by Mothore

 

Identification:

The Arkansas chocolate tarantula is the only known tarantula species in Arkansas and the most prolific tarantula in the south.  It is also the largest species of spider found in Arkansas.  Females live a reclusive life, but mature males can be found searching for females in late summer and early fall.  Like all spiders, they have a large cephalothorax (the front body segment where the legs attach), which is a lighter brown on top, and a fleshy abdomen (the “butt”).  The body of females averages two inches in length, with a robust, heavy body and shorter legs.  Females’ hair is lighter brown and denser than males’.  Mature males have a skinnier body, approximately one and a half inches long, and longer, lankier legs.  A sexually mature male has a darker and more distinct copper-colored cephalothorax.  An immature male comes in various shades of brown, grey, and red, with individuals becoming more vibrant after a molt. However, the chances of seeing an immature male are very low.  Like trapdoor spiders, tarantulas have large fangs that point downward, in contrast to other spiders, which have fangs that point inward toward each other.  Females have larger and more robust fangs.  Females and males fling the hairs on their bodies as a defense mechanism, as the hair irritates the skin and respiratory tract and deters predation.

 

Range:

The chocolate tarantula can be found throughout Arkansas, except in the southern portions of the state, specifically in the Mississippi Delta.  Across the United States, it can be found in areas from the Mississippi River into New Mexico, north into Colorado and Missouri, and south into Texas and Mexico.

 

Ecology:

Arkansas chocolate tarantulas are highly solitary spiders.  Females and immature males live exclusively in burrows and are rarely observed.  After reaching sexual maturity, males roam between June and November to find sexually mature females in their burrows to initiate reproduction.  Being so highly solitary, tarantulas treat anything that infiltrates their burrow as food.  This leads to interesting dynamics between females and males.  Males need to protect themselves from females, as females will actively try to kill males before copulation can occur.  Males have tibial hooks on the inside of their first pair of legs that hold females’ fangs at bay while they fertilize eggs.  After fertilizing the eggs, males do their best to escape before being eaten by the female.  Often, males are killed and eaten after copulation, if not before.

 

In the spider world, it is common for different species to have different feeding strategies. The most common is the creation of a web to catch unsuspecting insects.  Another strategy in grass or brush habitats is to build an elaborate web in the shape of funnels that shepherd unknowing insects to their demise inside a spider’s burrow.  Some funnel webs employ trip-wire-like threads that connect to the burrow entrance, alerting the spider when prey is close.  Tarantulas are ambush hunters that lie in wait for insects to cross their path and then pounce without using webs to trap prey.  Females and males (outside of mating season) wait in burrow entrances for food to come by the entrance or inside their burrows.

 

The Arkansas chocolate tarantula has a vast distribution across the desert southwest into the southern region.  Specifically in Arkansas, it prefers marginal, rocky, and open habitats.  Like the collared lizard, they are often found in open glade habitats.  Glade habitats are decreasing due to strict fire control policies, and would increase with more prescribed and controlled burns.  With a decrease in prescribed burns, woody vegetation encroachment into glade habitats has increased, resulting in changes in diversity within these habitats.

 

Special Notes:

You can find male chocolate tarantulas in Bella Vista in the late summer to early fall, questing for the burrow of reproductive females.  Males can be found along forest margins or in rocky glade habitats.  Females are rarely, if ever, observed.  Most information on their body shape and reproductive habits is based on observations made on males.  If you see these special spiders out in your garden or yard, know they are gentle giants.  They look scary, but they will not hurt you in any real way since their venom has no dangerous effects on humans.

[Johnsfolly]

@Quillback We have seen them several times right around Branson. Weird seeing one "running" across Rt 65 late at night.

[Quillback]

I think I have seen one and just one.  

[jdmidwest]

There was a year, I saw them frequently driving 142 from Doniphan to Thayer.  We were just driving along one night to head to Spring River for trout, and I saw something that looked like a big spider in the road.  I did not say anything, late at night, and someone may think I was drinking too much.  Next one I saw, looked over at my buddy and asked him.  Third one I saw, we tossed it into a 32 oz soda cup and I had a new pet.  Fed it crickets for a while until it died.

They were moving that year, never saw them again.

[mzrealfish]

1 less for me to encounter.  Thank you.  

[Al Agnew]

Hmm...Aphonopelma hentzi has always had the accepted common name of Texas brown tarantula.  I've never  before seen it called Arkansas chocolate.  Usually there is just one universally accepted common name, decided upon by the taxonomists.  But the accepted common name does occasionally change; for instance, black rat snakes now have the accepted common name western rat snake.

I've seen a few over the years in Ste. Genevieve County.  Can't remember seeing one anywhere else.  One of them I saw was crossing the highway adjacent to our Ste. Genevieve County house.  You know it's a big spider when you see it while driving!  I know they are basically harmless, but I can see where it would scare the heck out of people who don't know much about spiders.

Now THIS critter scares the crap out of me; I've seen a couple in the Ozarks, and yes, they are that big...giant red-headed centipede!

[tjm]

4 hours ago, Quillback said:

I think I have seen one and just one.  

Just north of the Walmart on US71, not too far from Bella Vista they used to cross 71 by the dozens/hundreds  going up the hill to the former glades  in fall and down to the creek in the spring. Fall movement was more obvious and lasted for a couple weeks each year. Then 10-15 years ago the government put that concrete barrier down the center of the highway and I haven't seen them since. My assumption is that they couldn't pass the solid barrier and died out.   I bet most people didn't even realize what they were seeing. 

Curiously the tarantulas that used to live in my  "yard" seem to have disappeared   in recent years as well,  probably been 5-6 years since the last time that I saw one. 

2 hours ago, Al Agnew said:

Hmm...Aphonopelma hentzi has always had the accepted common name of Texas brown tarantula.  I've never  before seen it called Arkansas chocolate.  Usually there is just one universally accepted common name, decided upon by the taxonomists.  But the accepted common name does occasionally change; for instance, black rat snakes now have the accepted common name western rat snake.

For over 70 years they just been "tarantulas" or "Ozark Tarantulas" to me, with no reference to color.  Your comment caused me to look it up and the interweb says the common name depends on what state they are found in. So I guess we should have been calling them "Missouri Brown Tarantulas" all these years. I took a few  to school as "Show and tell" pets back in the '50s.  At that time they were common enough here that a kid could likely find one on any summer day. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation calls them "Oklahoma brown tarantulas".   

[fishinwrench]

I don't care what flavor they are. 

Any spider bigger than a pea, might as well be as big as a Volkswagen.   

Because I'm equally as traumatized by their presence.  

[Quillback]

4 hours ago, tjm said:

Just north of the Walmart on US71, not too far from Bella Vista they used to cross 71 by the dozens/hundreds  going up the hill to the former glades  in fall and down to the creek in the spring. Fall movement was more obvious and lasted for a couple weeks each year. Then 10-15 years ago the government put that concrete barrier down the center of the highway and I haven't seen them since. My assumption is that they couldn't pass the solid barrier and died out.   I bet most people didn't even realize what they were seeing. 

 

I'll be darned, I never have seen them crossing the road, but I never have looked for them.  

[Foghorn]

Saw one at Roaring River on the "no fishing" side of the bank where the fly fishing section starts. It was big enough that I could see it walking from the "fishing " side of the stream.